UCF plans to appeal NCAA football postseason ban

The NCAA hit UCF with extensive penalties, including a one-year postseason ban in football and men's basketball.

The NCAA hit UCF with extensive penalties, including a one-year postseason ban in football and men's basketball.

Iliana Limón Romero | Orlando Sentinel

The NCAA hammered UCF with hefty sanctions Tuesday morning following its investigation of major recruiting infractions within the football and men's basketball programs.

The Knights were hit with a one-year postseason ban in football and men’s basketball. UCF was fined $50,000 and placed on five years probation. Former UCF athletic Director Keith Tribble and UCF men's basketball coach Donnie Jones were given three-year "show cause" penalties, while former receivers coach David Kelly was hit with a one-year "show cause" penalty.

The "show cause" penalty means an NCAA school must prove Tribble, Jones and Kelly will comply with NCAA rules and accept any probation sanctions linked to them. The penalty makes it extremely difficult to land a job at a new school.

UCF President John Hitt announced Tuesday afternoon the school is still reviewing the NCAA decision, but it has already decided to appeal the football postseason ban.

Hitt said due to the NCAA's lengthy appeal process, the Knights likely will be able to play in a 2012 Conference USA championship and bowl game if it qualifies for those opportunities. However, if UCF loses it's appeal, the Knights would then face a postseason ban in 2013.

Since UCF is not appealing the men's basketball postseason ban, the team is not eligible to compete in the Conference USA men’s basketball tournament or the C-USA football championship game. Seniors on the UCF football and men's basketball would be free to transfer to other schools without having to sit out the upcoming season.

UCF athletics director Todd Stansbury and Hitt repeatedly said they were committed to "creating a culture of compliance" with NCAA rules in the future.

UCF was cited for a "lack of institutional control," triggering a series of stringent sanctions.

"The athletic staff allowed third parties to be involved in the recruiting process," said Greg Sankey, associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and a member of the NCAA Committee on Infractions that determined UCF's sanctions.

The Knights are classified as a repeat offender because the football program was already on probation for impermissible phone contact with recruits.

UCF self imposed a long list of penalties recommended by former NCAA investigator Michael Glazier with the hope of avoiding more stringent sanctions.

The NCAA first began investigating UCF recruiting practices in April 2011. Its investigators alleged Chicago resident Ken Caldwell, who mentored a variety of football and basketball high school athletes, was working with a professional agent and helped steer recruits to UCF.

Investigators also suggested Keith Tribble tried to arrange a job for the mother of a UCF football recruit, helped Caldwell's son receive a waiver for in-state tuition and provided free game tickets to Caldwell.

Kelly and Tribble were accused of violating the NCAA principles of ethical conduct, charges they both deny. UCF President John Hitt asked Tribble and Kelly to resign in November. He also suspended Jones for three Conference USA games and gave football coach George O'Leary a letter of reprimand for allowing the violations to take place within their programs.

Tribble's attorney stated the former athletic director's poor understanding of NCAA rules led to some of the violations he was accused of committing, but he denied Tribble tried to arrange a job for the mother of a recruit and provided other benefits to Caldwell's family.

The Knights did not reap many rewards from breaking the rules. None of the recruits linked to Caldwell ever enrolled at UCF. Former point guard A.J. Rompza, who said Caldwell was his mentor since he was in the fifth grade, was the only UCF athlete associated with the investigation.

Caldwell told the Orlando Sentinel the allegations that he was a affiliated with a professional agent were inaccurate and he did not break any NCAA rules while encouraging athletes to consider attending UCF. He said he refused to speak with NCAA investigators about the case.

UCF has already self imposed the following sanctions that will remain in place:

-- Placing its athletics programs on probation for three years, which prompts extensive NCAA compliance oversight.

-- Dropping from 13 to 12 men's basketball scholarships for the next two years.

-- Limiting football official visits to 27 per year and basketball official visits to seven per year for the next two academic years. It represents a 20 percent reduction in UCF's average official visits during the past four years.

-- Vacating all men's basketball wins for the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years because point guard A.J. Rompza's amateur status was compromised by Caldwell during the victories.

-- Reducing the number of football coaches and men's basketball coaches allowed to simultaneously recruit off campus during the next two academic years.

-- Prohibiting men's basketball coaches from engaging in off campus recruiting during two of three evaluation July periods during the next two academic years

-- Reducing the number of men's basketball and football recruiting days during the next two academic years.

-- Issuing letters of reprimand to Jones, assistant basketball coach Darren Tillis and O'Leary. Jones was suspended for the first three Conference USA games, while Tillis was suspended for two C-USA games.

-- Blocking Tillis and Jones from receiving bonuses or salary increases for the 2012 and 2013 fiscal years.